The Pirate Lord of the Caribbean
by CaribbeanCurrents
Summary: Summary: Takes place 3 years after Curse of the Black Pearl but before any of the other movies... Jack Sparrow once observed that apparently, one good deed could be enough to condemn a man. After the earthquake destroys Port Royal, what part does a well-known pirate figure in the aftermath? Yes, I have my own take on Jack Sparrows' background - DOES NOT follow canon!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I guess I really do need to remind you all that anything and everything related to Pirates of the Caribbean, their characters and settings are all the property of Disney - Disney - Disney - nobody - but -Disney - I-just-borrowing-to-play-with-and-giving-back. Only Disney can make money on anything to do with Pirates of the Caribbean. NOT ME!

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 _Summary: Jack Sparrow once observed that apparently, one good deed could be enough to condemn a man. After the earthquake destroys Port Royal, what part does a well-known pirate figure in the aftermath?_

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Setting: After the First Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but before any of the others had even been made…. So, this does not follow the 'rest of the story' or anything else that came in the later movies. Think back to the day when all you had ever seen was the one and only 'Pirates of the Caribbean, the Curse of the Black Pearl' adventure…. 3 and a half years later…...

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Historical Note: On June 7th, in the year1692…. just minutes before noon, a violent earthquake struck the Caribbean town of Port Royal, located on the island of Jamaica. It is estimated to have been well over what today measures as a 7 on the earthquake scale, in a day and age when building standards did not exist. Entire portions of the town sunk down into the sea, never to see the sunlight again, and in the end, barely one-third of the town remained, and only one damaged military fort was left to provide any measure of defense. The earthquake was followed immediately by a 30-foot-tall tsunami that destroyed even more of what was left of the town, sweeping hundreds and hundreds of people out to sea, never to be seen again. It is when the shaking stops and the flood waters are gone, that our story begins….

 **Chapter 1 When the World Falls Apart.**

 **June 11** **th** **, Saturday**

Smoke from the out-of-control fires and dust still hung heavily in the air over what was left of the port. Two large vessels in the harbor leaned sharply into each other, having been slammed together with such force during the earth's sudden upheaval that their masts and rigging had become hopelessly tangled. Nothing still afloat was larger than a small fishing vessel. The towering mast of one ship stuck up straight in the middle of the town! It had been washed there by the giant tsunami that had come just minutes after the earthquake finally quit. Needless to say, the buildings it had landed upon had not exactly survived the sudden addition…. But then, many other buildings had also been left little more than piles of rubble and debris.

The Port Royal British Fleet had been tied up securely in the harbor, and thus were the victims of the upheaval and resulting tidal waves. Luckily none had actually sunk, but nothing would be leaving under its own power until extensive repairs were made.

Everywhere one looked there was rubble, mud, debris, and the unmistakable stench of death and decay. Most eerie though was the silence. Past was the weeping and wailing, the screams of the dying. Now there was the quiet hum of the survivors, intent on eking out what little could be salvaged from the ruins of the town.

Commodore Norrington found it hard to believe the sun dared to rise. This, the fourth day after the disaster, the shock had begun to wear off and a deep resentment had taken its' place. How could God above allow such a tragedy? The death of so many innocents? Leave them so defenseless? His jaw clenched at the thought.

By now word of the disaster had spread. He was absolutely certain that within days Port Royal would become the biggest target for looting and chaos in the entire Northern Hemisphere - and of course, the region was already infested with more predators and pirates than a dog had fleas. Except for the Marines and sailors from the ships and the cannons high on the fort top, they would be defenseless against whoever or whatever chose to come to see what was left for the taking from the paralyzed city.

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William and Elizabeth were both smeared with soot and grime as they stood outside in the center Courtyard of the fort. The Governor's house had survived the earthquakes intact, but the blacksmith's shop was now under 50 to 100 feet of water, along with the rest of the mile or so of land that had once been the dock and central town area.

The biggest concerns now were the securing of shelter, food, clean water, and building materials. Nearly all of the businesses central to the functioning of Port Royal had been located near the docks - which meant only the fish could now frequent those establishments.

The dock itself would have to be rebuilt before ships bringing relief could unload. But those ships would not come anytime soon. It would take weeks for the news to reach England, and then week upon week for ships loaded with supplies to sail back to them. It might even be as long as 3 months before true help arrived.

Already the price for lumber from areas located elsewhere on the island had increased 10-fold. What cost a shilling a foot for a board last week, now cost 10 shillings a foot! The militia was far too busy with emergency issues to bother with shopkeepers now intent on making as much profit as they could from the event. It was enough to make Elizabeth feel sick to her stomach.

Like everyone else, they had helped rescue those who could be dug from the rubble - helped the injured, even helped extract some of those who had paid the ultimate price. William's mentor and the owner of the blacksmith shop, Mr. Brown and his beloved wife, had been among those unfortunates who had lost their lives. They had not been alone though…. Well over 2,500 others had perished with them.

That was 1 out of every 3 people who lived in the town! Not that they would have to bury them all…. A good number had been swallowed up when the earth split open in wide cracks when the shaking began…. Only to slam suddenly shut in the final throes of the earth's upheaval.

While Will had been lugging beams, and stone the last few days, Elizabeth had been well occupied with the large number of sudden orphans that had been gathered together at the church. The small number of priests had been quickly overwhelmed between the need for burials and the 5 dozen orphans they had suddenly found themselves the wards of.

This was practically the first-time husband and wife had seen each other for more than a few minutes since the disaster had struck. Just the sight of each other gave them cause again to rejoice just in the fact that they were both safe and well, as was the rest of the Governor's household. Neither of them had hardly seen the Governor himself at all since - the man was constantly buzzing from one place to another in meetings and conferences with all kinds of assorted other men of high station that had doings with the, until now, prosperous port city. Over 6,000 people had lived in Port Royal last week… and none of them knew yet exactly how many remained.

 **June 12** **th** **, Sunday**

Several hours sail time away, the very large Indiaman Transom galley, with its huge black sails slipped efficiently through the waves. At her helm stood a dark woman of average height and slender build. She stood clad in the common britches and loose-fitting linen shirt of her occupation, and her face bore a look of serious contemplation. The entire crew of the ship had had much to contemplate in the last few days. They had been perfectly content and on a heading for the Windward Passage when the captain of the ship had seen something unusual in the water.

It was not the sort of thing a normal pirate would have noticed, but then, Captain Jack Sparrow was no ordinary pirate. He was one of the nine pirate lords, chosen by the Ancient Gods who had long ago left Mt Olympus and relocated to the underwater city of Atlantis.

Actually, Captain Sparrow himself would remind you that he was the 'incipient' Pirate Lord of the Caribbean. Not fully anointed and confirmed, not yet at least… and that was just fine with him. He and the god of the sea, Neptune, had not exactly hit it off all that well.

But then, how would you like to have your little schooner smashed to smithereens and be drug under the sea, only to be told by some 17-foot-tall man with blue skin that your future career path has been determined for you? Without even so much as a 'would you care to volunteer before we appoint you'?

Oh, he had gotten used to it… That had been nigh on 15 years ago now as a matter of fact. And it did have its advantages. Some very nice ones. Still, he was in no hurry whatsoever to be meeting Neptune again, not anytime soon! Staying on the topside of the sea was just fine as far as he was concerned!

Absently the pirate's hand went to the round silver medallion he wore around his neck. It had a silver triangle inside the circle, and inside the silver triangle, a round gold coin with only one mark on it…. The Greek letter 'O'… O, as in Olympus. That other people rarely even noticed he wore it had mystified him at first. He was glad though, considering the leather thong it hung on was too small to get off over his head and the cord so far had resisted being cut by any sword or knife he had ever come across…. And you could believe he had tried them all!

It was the wide streak of purple that had suddenly appeared in the water that had told him that the unusual wave he had felt pass beneath his ship had meant nothing good. Not that his crew could see it. Only 8 other men living in the world would have been able to see the wide purple stain in the sea. His crew were among the very few people who knew the special role he had been chosen for but were very good at keeping mum to the fact.

You didn't exactly want to go bragging about being a Pirate Lord, or the fact that you sailed with one… that would be just inviting trouble from the more military types so abundant in the Caribbean, not to mention other assorted troublemakers. And he made sure to make their silence worth it.

A ship needed a Captain and a crew… and a Captain needed a ship and a crew…. And a crew needed a ship and a captain…. Even if you were a Pirate Lord, the interdependency was inescapable. He couldn't do it alone. Well, he couldn't do ALL of it alone anyway.

The medallion felt extra warm in his hand. Purple water was never good. The last time he had seen purple it had been a hurricane. No, not good. Not good at all, he thought. Better follow it and see what's happened now. That's what it seemed to mean when you suddenly saw some wide swatch of color in the sea. Not that anyone had sent him any instructions on how or what a Pirate Lord did…. But he was always up for an adventure. Colors in the water always led you to something, he'd discovered, being the curious sort himself.

But purple? No, he had never seen good come of his suddenly seeing purple in the water.

"Not good. Not good at all." He had said out loud, earning a quizzical look a and raised eyebrow from Mr. Gibbs who had come up beside him.

"What'cha see, Jack?" the older sailor had asked, and the pirate captain shook his head, suddenly abandoning the railing.

"Purple." He had told the man as he headed for the wheel, giving only a glance as Gibbs made a face of dismay and shuddered slightly. By now even Gibbs knew purple was not what you ever hoped to find.

"We're taking a little detour, gents! Got us some color in the water I'm afraid! 18 degrees starboard, prepare to make full sail!" Jack shouted in his best 'voice of command' as he hurried up to the quarterdeck. Mr. Cotton nodded and stepped aside, the bright blue and yellow macaw parrot on his shoulder repeating Jack's words, and then suddenly flying off, down the length of the ship, crying out the words. Mr. Gibbs and a few others took up the cry as well and began shouting for lines and braces to be changed.

It wasn't more than a few hours before the crew and its' officers realized the change in course was leading them towards the island of Jamaica. That wasn't an island Captain Jack Sparrow usually headed towards at all…. One might even say he tended to rather avoid the place… But he sure was headed there now.

And then they had encountered the first swept-out-to-sea wreckage of the disaster.

Annamaria was no newcomer to the sight of death. Being a pirate, that was an occupational hazard she had been eye to eye with more than once. But seeing the bodies of men, women, and children had been sobering for them all. Or perhaps it was the ones they came upon that still lived, those lucky ones that had found floating wreckage to cling to. That had quickly given them all pause for thought. What on earth had happened to produce such a wide space of wreckage? So many bodies?

It was the first ones they had pulled up from the sea that had informed them of the disaster. In the time since, they had managed to collect quite a number of survivors who had been washed away and somehow managed not to drown.

153 of them to be exact.

To say the 168-foot-long ship had become a bit crowded was an understatement as deep as the sea herself. Even with her various decks, none of which was luxurious in vacant space, there just wasn't enough space to accommodate so many extra bodies in any measure of comfort. They were pirates after all, and it had been a good month for them… a very good month even! But, the crew hadn't so much as grumbled a word when asked by the Captain to lend their beds to the castaways. In fact, for the last 4 days, the vessel had taken on more the air of being a blessed haven for the forlorn and lost, rather than the infamous pirate ship she was.

More than one of the crew had been drawn into talking to the survivors, commiserating on their losses. Nights had become a time of telling legends and sea stories and sharing shanties, and more than one inexperienced hand could now tie a decent Bowman's knot. It had been a way to keep from thinking of the other things they had found floating in the water, as well as what they could imagine must await them in the town itself.

Annamaria gave a wry smile. It was no secret really that Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl was not exactly the most ruthless, bloodletting pirate in the world, but this was definitely outside even his normal definitions of 'being helpful' when it would be of profit to them, or part of his 'extracurricular duties', courtesy of Neptune himself. So far not a single one of the castaways had been relieved of so much as one ring or necklace. Nor had anyone been 'used' the way that could be expected upon most pirate ships.

But the Black Pearl was not most pirate ships, and her captain was fairly unique among pirates. Of that Anna had no doubts whatsoever as she watched said captain on the deck below. He had been squatting beside a 35ish or so year old woman who sat with a young boy in her lap. The boy was not her own, but it looked as if perhaps the lad would not be having to see the inside of an orphanage after all. Both of them were smiling warmly at the Captain as he rose, gave the boy's head a friendly tousle, and left them to come up to the quarterdeck at the rear of the ship where Anna stood at the helm.

"You're serious about us taking them right into Port Royal, ain't cha' Jack?" she asked unhappily and he nodded with a mild smile that revealed a flash of gold from a capped incisor.

"We can't exactly put them back in the water where we found them, now can we darlin'?" He countered with a vague gesture, waving one hand in the general direction of the ocean and she frowned at him.

"No, but it would be nice if we didn't have to go sailing right into the arms of that British Commodore who is so fond of trying to hang you. He'd just as soon hang the lot of us as soon as look at us and you know it, Jack." She observed darkly, and he nodded as he stared out over the crowded deck, one eyebrow arched sharply and fingers running down the length of the braided tips of his beard as he thought.

"Well - no we won't just go sailing in as if it were a picnic in the park, luv. Hopefully, the man is a bit distracted at the moment." He said, leaving off to shift his gaze to stare at the sea with a vaguely worried look as he chewed on his lower lip and she sighed silently.

"I'm sure they're alright Jack," she said very lowly, so only he could hear, and he glanced back at her for barely a second, then turned back to studying the view. How like the pirate captain to be concerned if his 'friends' in Port Royal were safe? Friends he had made on a rather unlikely and nearly impossible adventure a good three and a half years back. Friends he hadn't seen since although she knew he had received a letter or two from the town. Regular mail service such as normal folk enjoyed wasn't exactly a benefit of serving on a pirate ship, not even for its captain.

Did a few letters over three years' time even constitute a claim to friendship? That was the real question in her mind. That Commodore was awfully set on stretching Jack's neck and would just love to include the entire crew of the Pearl in on the fun as well. She liked her neck just fine as it was, thank you very much.

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	2. Chapter 2 Standoff

Disclaimer: I guess I really do need to remind you all that anything and everything related to Pirates of the Caribbean, their characters and settings are all the property of Disney - Disney - Disney - nobody - but -Disney - I-just-borrowing-to-play-with-and-giving-back. Only Disney can make money on anything to do with Pirates of the Caribbean. NOT ME!

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 **Chapter 2: Standoff**

 **June 12** **th** **, Sunday continued**

The galley came up to the entrance of the harbor and slid to a stop. They had stayed far out of range of the guns from the big fort, as well as those from the stranded or listing Navy vessels. Just because a ship couldn't maneuver in the water, didn't mean someone couldn't load a cannon and send shot flying their way.

The grey-haired and mutton-chopped Mr. Gibbs stood at the helm, while nearby Jack stood at the railing, using his spyglass to watch the fort and harbor in general. The view wasn't the best at this distance, but it was clear that there was suddenly a lot of activity and running around going on at the top level. The level where they housed those blasted guns of theirs. Apparently, they had been noticed.

"Sure a lot more water in that harbor than there used to be Capt'n" Gibbs observed and Jack sighed and nodded as he lowered and closed the spyglass.

"Bits and pieces of buildings as well. With that much of the land gone, Neptune himself only knows what kind of depth there is to allow a ship to enter it now. You can see bits and pieces of some of it sticking up out of the water even. And the dock is just not there anymore - not even a trace of it." He said wryly as he folded his arms over his chest and stared at the scene before him with a calculating look for a long moment.

"Bring out the sweeps - but make not so much as a single stroke. Those bloody idiots in that fort are going to have to take a shot at us sooner or later. Matter of pride. Can't just let a pirate ship sail in completely unmolested." he said as if thinking aloud, and jerked mildly as if on cue, there came a muffled boom from the tower. And about 75 yards in front of them, the splash of a cannonball hitting the water.

Gibbs frowned at him.

"I do wish you wouldn't always be so accurate Capt'n" he said darkly, and Jack gave him a confident smile as he chuckled softly.

"Nice thing about the Royal Navy Mr. Gibbs - they do tend to be a bit predictable. Image and pride - all that rot." He observed, and Gibbs nodded. He had served in said Navy in the past and knew well just what 'all that rot' could encompass.

"Do you want to return fire sir?" asked a crew member from the lower deck and Jack shook his head.

"No, - but go below and see that all of our passengers are secure. I don't want anyone up here being mistaken for a hostage. Not unless we need them to be anyway." He said, and the man nodded and left. Jack stepped to the rail and looked down to watch the many oars come out of the sides of the ship, then he opened his spyglass again to study the tower of the fort.

Yeah, they were busy as bees up there now, he could see. They were well out of cannon range, he knew… but he was sure they would just have to try a lot more than just once. He couldn't help but smile.

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Commodore Norrington stood in a semi sheltered spot high atop Fort Charles, his spyglass trained on the pirate ship with its infamous black sails that had come to a stop just out of cannon range. He muttered a few uncomplimentary words under his breath as he gazed through the instrument, not breaking off his view as the Governor came rushing up to him.

A quick glance told him that Will and Elizabeth had followed the man, but had stopped some ways off, all three of the new arrivals looking more than just a little alarmed.

"What are you shooting at?" the Governor demanded and Norrington grimaced.

"The first of what will surely be many more such problems. We have a visitor at the entrance to the harbor - a pirate ship." He said darkly and they all exchanged looks, the Governor quickly becoming more agitated.

"Good Lord man! We won't be able to hold them off with these few cannons!" the Governor reacted with and the Commodore lowered the spyglass with a glance at the younger couple.

"I could hope that this is Mr. Sparrows' way of paying a social visit - but somehow I doubt it. The ship is very low in the water, which means she is heavily loaded. And he's just sitting there. Ran out the oars, but he's just sitting there - watching - waiting. Once darkness falls we won't be able to see if they move. Not with those black sails." He said gravely, and now while the Governor looked even more alarmed, both Will and Elizabeth frowned and stepped up to look over the side and see the ship sitting there.

It was indeed the Black Pearl, there was no mistaking that part of the puzzle.

Just then another cannon went off and they all cringed at the loud booming noise. and stared as the ball again fell far short of the ship.

"Why are you shooting at them? That isn't exactly the best way to keep them from wanting to destroy what little is left of Port Royal!" the Governor exclaimed in alarm and the Commodore scowled.

"A pirate is a pirate. Besides, God Willing - If we could sink that thing in the bay - that would certainly be a warning to any other such brazen attempts." He growled, and Will scowled.

"Jack is NOT just another pirate and you know it, Commodore. He hasn't come near this town in over 3 years. How do you know he hasn't come to offer help?" he asked, and the Commodore smirked.

"I do not see why you repeatedly insist on taking the side of such a blatant criminal Mr. Turner, but I can assure you it does nothing to further your future in this colony. Just because he has had the sense to be afraid to enter our fair waters does not mean he hasn't been a major nuisance to the rest of the Caribbean. and I can assure you that he most certainly has been! I can also assure you that Mr. Sparrow is no more out there to offer the good people of Port Royal his generous assistance than I am about to take wing and fly off for the winter migrations. The man is a criminal Mr. Turner. You would do well to remember that he still has a noose awaiting him, one I would be only happy to see put to good use." He said very aristocratically, then turned to give the younger man a smug smile.

"And I can assure you, sir, there will be no interference in the course of justice this time. Mr. Sparrow was given his one day's head start, years ago. If he has come here, I will see duty done." He added, then deliberately turned his back on the young couple and directed Governor Swan's attention to the flurry of activity taking place on the upper level of the fort.

Will clenched his jaw in anger and was about to argue further, only to have Elizabeth stop him with a hand on his arm and a meaningful look. He had once declared that his place was standing between this same pirate and the zealous Commodore, and Norrington never missed an opportunity to remind him of the fact.

He glared at the man, but for Elizabeth's sake, managed not to say so much as a word.

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	3. Chapter 3: Action and Inaction

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Disney's…. wish I did! :D

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 **Chapter 3: Action... And inaction**

June 12th, Sunday continued

Gibbs and Annamaria both frowned darkly as they watched Jack prepare the small rowboat to be lowered off the side of the Pearl. Night had fallen some time ago and the moon was well hidden behind a large cloud.

"Jack, Capt'n" Gibbs started, and the pirate straightened and turned to him.

"Something has to be done, Mr. Gibbs. We can't keep all those people below decks, sitting in the crew's quarters, camped out in the holds, or wherever else you've managed to stash them all. They aren't our prisoners. Might I ask what you propose instead?" he asked, one hand painting an absent pattern in the air.

Gibbs made a face of dismay. He didn't have any other suggestion…. He just didn't like the idea of Jack making this little foray of his onto the island itself. And right onto the Governor's property itself?

Anna made a face of dismay as well.

"You don't even know if they still live at the last place that letter came from. And how is your going to see the whelp and his wife going to get that daft Commodore to stop shooting at us? You're just asking for trouble Jack. They live right on that same piece of land as the Governor's house. How do you know Norrington isn't up at the Governor's house right now, coming up with some brilliant plan to get rid of us? That man must have a mountain of cannon balls on hand with the way he's been dropping them into the sea all day!" she said hotly, and he smiled with a flash of gold.

"First of all, I doubt Norrington has the imagination to come up with a brilliant plan to get rid of us. Mediocre, perhaps… but not brilliant. And second, as you imply… she is the governor's daughter. All we need to do is get the young Mr. Turner and his missy to arrange for a time and place for us to let everyone off, and we're done." He said casually, with a wave of one hand and a confident grin.

"And all of the supplies and things the hold got filled with the other day?" she challenged, and he grimaced as if caught, then shrugged.

"Aye, that too. No room for more swag until we get rid of all that nonsense and clutter down there. And, I might point out, it was the crew that came to me wanting to collect those things? Wasn't my idea at all." He admitted with a dismissing gesture and she shook her head.

"No one said that vote was unanimous. I sure didn't like the idea. You won't find any of my stash contributed to their little cause. You been rubbing off on them in the wrong way if you ask me." She growled, watching as he turned back to look down at the small rowboat now resting on the surface of the water beside the large ship.

"I swear sometimes I think you are truly daft Jack," she told him, and he glanced at her with a quick grin.

"Why thank you luv'. Now be a help and keep our passel of passengers out of sight and I should be back before dawn…. hopefully, with a location we can deliver them to safely and soundly. Then we can be on our way" he quipped with an offhanded gesture and she rolled her eyes and looked resigned as he found the top of the ladder attached to the side of the ship and started his way down.

"You'd better be back Captain. The code doesn't say a thing about us being babysitters for a bunch of water pruned landlubbers forever and a day if you decide to 'fall behind'!" she leaned over the railing to call after him. Once in the small boat he grinned up and gave her his usual hands together little bow of thanks and then set about finding the oars and getting them into position.

Gibbs stood beside her as they watched the small craft with its lone occupant disappear into the darkness.

"Jack Sparrow is a good man Anna. He's the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean…. it's kind of his job to be tryin' to help those people. They live in his waters. You know that. Kinda' hard for anyone not to feel sorry for them, considering' half the town is gone right from under them." He said, and she frowned deeply.

"Aye! And tryin' to help is likely to get him killed one of these days! He may be daft, but I prefer he be daft and in one piece!" she said hotly and stalked off, leaving him to raise an eyebrow after her.

"That lass certainly has an odd way of showing how much she cares for a fellow." He muttered to himself, laughing softly.

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Commodore Norrington wandered the courtyard of the fort restlessly. He hated to admit even to himself just how unnerving it had been to have the Black Pearl sitting in the bay all day. Just sitting there, just out of reach - and doing nothing - not one blessed thing. At least his barrage had kept it from daring to come any closer.

"What kind of pirate sits in your waters and lets you lob shells at his ship the whole livelong day?" he muttered to himself crossly.

'One who knows you can't reach him,' that little voice in his mind answered quickly.

He scowled deeply and resisted the urge kick at something. He would not give in to his temper. He hadn't in years and the certainly wouldn't now.

"And of all the pirates who could possibly do such a thing, it has to be Sparrow?' he thought with annoyance. The last time when Sparrow had made a mockery of being hung, it had haunted him for months. It had made them the laughing stock of the island, and the questions asked from his higher-ups in other places had NOT been comfortable ones. He had never had to write more reports in his entire life. Why in the name of Heaven above hadn't somebody, someplace, managed to hang the man and rid the world of one more menace to society?

He stepped up to the battlements and looked out over the water. He couldn't even tell if the blasted ship was still there! He fumed furiously. It would be wonderful if he really believed that the next day would dawn to reveal a bay that was free of that cursed ship and its ridiculous 'captain'. But somehow, he was very certain that come first light that thing would be right where it had been. Taunting him - Sparrow was deliberately taunting him.

Suddenly an idea occurred to him. The ship was made of timber and caulking like any other. What if they tried to blow it out of the water in a more 'clandestine' way, say before sunrise? He stopped. Cannonballs they had mountains of on hand was one thing. But enough powder and a way to put a hole in that vessel large enough to sink it… that was a much rarer commodity.

It would take daring to somehow manage to find a hole in the Pearl and get a lit grenade charge in there, and perhaps even death for the poor sailor who attempted it. One good placed grenade and maybe they would set off the ships' own stores of ammunition and powder and blast the thing to pieces. Little itty-bitty tiny pieces.

He couldn't help but smile at the mental image of the ship being blown to bits in the darkness. It would be a perfectly brilliant explosion. Problem pirate and his crew, all taken care of. He sighed, rubbing at his chin. No, it was not guaranteed to work. He really should seek out the Governor's advice and agreement, but it sounded like a solid plan of action to him.

With that thought, he turned on his heel and left the fort.

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Jack Sparrow stood half hidden behind a tree in the garden, watching the modest-sized house before him. Aye - they still lived there on the Governor's property, in a smaller separate house of their own. Unfortunately, what he was witnessing was not a scene of domestic bliss but one of stress and tension.

The young blacksmith had been pacing back and forth before the lady, obviously quite excited about something from all the gesturing and scowling he was doing. And somehow Jack had a feeling it was very much connected to the Pearl's presence in the bay that day. Well, at least no one could accuse them of starting it all! It wasn't the Pearl that had sunk 38 cannonballs into the beautiful waters of the Caribbean before darkness finally put an end to the effort.

He looked both ways and saw no evidence of anyone - but stayed where he was. He, the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, honestly wasn't sure what kind of reception he would receive if he went up those doors.

Not that he was nervous. Nervous was a word he never allowed himself to use. He didn't entertain any thoughts of an overwhelming and loving greeting all around - but he really didn't relish the image of being greeted with open hostility either. And by the lad's mood, he wasn't sure which he would receive. He kind of expected it to be the latter.

Jack still hesitated. The lad looked so exactly much like his father and was like him in temperament as well it seemed. For a moment in his mind's eye, he saw the boy's father and his dear friend Bootstrap Bill Turner pacing back and forth before him in a total fury over some completely daft scheme he'd pulled. But in those days, he seemed to have better luck at getting away with it. Now, well after the events with Barbossa, it was difficult to believe in being lucky. Cleverness and skill yes. Good timing perhaps, the opportune moment taken advantage of, even more so…. But just sheer dumb luck? Well, that was another matter entirely.

He folded his hands together in his normal way of saying thanks but brought them before his lips and then shook his head as if to clear it. Stay focused… now was not exactly the time for trips down memory lane, he told himself.

He studied the expanse of manicured lawn and well-placed shrubbery again with greater care. It didn't look like there was anyone around to come clap him in irons, and they really did need a way to rid the Pearl of her cargo - both human and otherwise. With that thought, he crossed the walkway and tapped lightly at the French doors. Then he took several steps back and away from it, just in case.

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	4. Chapter 4: A Visit from a Sparrow

Disclaimer: No, POTC is NOT mine… all belongs to Disney, only Disney!

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Chapter 4: A Visit from a Sparrow / pg 12 /

June 12th, Sunday continued

William Turner's face appeared at the doors and he looked around - then found Jack standing there. In a flash, the doors flew open and Will had him by the wrist in an iron-strong grip and pulled him inside. Funny - he didn't remember the boy being that fast in the past.

Elizabeth rose to her feet with a very broad smile.

"Jack! Thank the angels above!" she exclaimed. The pirate's eyes widened as she got to him, then she threw her arms around him in a hug.

After being surprised for a moment Jack gently returned it. As soon as she let go he found himself with the lad's arm over his shoulder and he was being pounded on the back rather energetically.

"Well, so much for the open hostility greeting,' Jack thought with much relief and finally smiled.

"Jack where have you been - besides the bay I mean. Didn't you get our letters? Why didn't you write? Why are you in the bay - Oh I am SOO glad to see you!" Elizabeth burst out with all at once. Will laughed, and she looked at him.

"You're lucky I'm not a jealous husband Jack," he said, but to her and Elizabeth blushed mildly.

Jack smiled mischievously and took up the lady's hand in his own callused one.

"I've been wandering the earth in search of such a rare treasure as yourself missy, and with no luck a' tall. Ye be as a fair wind after a summer squall, you know." He purred teasingly as he brushed the back of her hand with his lips. Elizabeth blushed even stronger and the pirate gave Will a wink.

"Unhand my wife, you scoundrel," the lad told him with a wide smile and Jack did so now, letting go with a grin and a deep bow, sweeping his hat off and bringing it to his heart.

"If you insist lad, if you insist," he drawled in a regretful, pouting tone, eyes bright with mirth.

Will responded by shaking his head and trying not to laugh. Laughing would only encourage the pirate to more outlandishness.

"We've wondered and have worried. Why didn't you ever write?" Elizabeth asked with true concern and Will quickly intervened.

"Elizabeth, … um … not everyone can..." he started and stopped, just short of expressing his doubts that the pirate could do either. - But Jack just smiled easily and shrugged.

"I'll swear by all the souls in Davey Jones locker, I've been waiting for one of this messenger dolphins to flop up on my deck, but we seem to keep forgetting to stop by!" he quipped. Elizabeth gave him a reproving look and he shrugged.

"Never knew what to write lass. Ran into some bad luck, then some good luck… What was I supposed to write, 'Hello - well we've gone and sacked Nassau… again? Lovely little town - lousy shots?'" he asked lightly and now Will half frowned.

"You didn't," he said, and Jack leaned back, putting his hands up in a gesture of mocking innocence, then tiled his head and gave a sly smile.

"Pirate!" he said in the same tone he had voiced long ago to give the same excuse in a certain blacksmith's shop. Will couldn't help but grin and shook his head, the image of that moment in the blacksmith shop coming vividly to mind.

"Jack, you didn't really sack Nassau, did you?" Elizabeth demanded a little sternly and he considered her for a moment then gave her his most charming smile.

"Course not, blast ye, what do you take me for?" he denied firmly with a sudden frown that lent truth to his innocence and she looked relieved and sighed.

"It was some other little place - can't even remember the name of it now," he added with a definite twinkle and sidestepped away just when she would have tried to hit him.

Will repressed a smile as he looked at her. "You asked for that one," he hardly bothered to whisper as he led the way over to a polite arrangement of chairs and they all sat down.

"Norrington said you've been a nuisance in the Caribbean overall," Will told him, now more seriously as they settled down and the pirate shrugged.

"Yeah, well, as I said, had some bad times, had some good ones. If all he terms it as was being a nuisance, I'll take that label and be satisfied." He said, rubbing at the upper quadrant of the left side of his chest and wincing mildly as he accidentally rubbed too hard over the scar he had gained there since he had last seen the couple.

Elizabeth noticed.

"I remember you had a bullet wound on the right side… You didn't get another one to match it, did you?" she asked, and he gave her a very startled look, his fist closing over the area as he suddenly bit down on his lower lip and now William frowned at him as well.

"How long ago? Who did it?" the young blacksmith asked, and the pirate gave them an almost puzzled look and then sighed. He wasn't exactly used to being asked such questions.

"I was in England the winter after I left you and your pretty lass here in Port Royal. Had some business to conduct. Didn't go exactly as I had planned," he told them, remembering the look of gleeful joy almost on the man's face as the bullet had hit him. Unconsciously he took a deep breath and resisted the impulse to cough when exhaling and rubbed lightly over the area.

"Don't suppose you have a noggin of rum lying about do you lad?" he asked as he looked around the room hopefully, and the two looked at each other.

"Ummm, no Jack." She started in an apologetic tone, then arched an eyebrow as Will rose and left the room to come back in a few moments, grinning and with a dark bottle in hand.

"William Turner!" she reproved, and he smiled with a gesture at the pirate.

"Well, I hoped he'd come back someday! Couldn't not have anything at all on hand," he said as he poured a glass and brought both over to the pirate.

Will teased, first offering the glass, then as Jack went to take it with a mildly disappointed look, the young man put the bottle in the pirates' hand and kept the glass for himself. Jack grinned widely.

"Aw - I always said you were a bright one lad, a shining star you are. Thank you much. It's well appreciated." He said and took a very large swig and looked relieved as he felt it burn its way down.

"What's this about you've been a nuisance in the Caribbean? What have you been doing? " she asked, and he shrugged.

"No more than usual, if you insist on knowing. It's what pirates do darlin', remember? Take ships? Smuggle goods…. Raid an occasional town…" he said and leaned back as he watched her struggle somewhat with that fact.

She knew perfectly well what pirates did, he couldn't help but think. Her and all her storybook tales of pirates… Only what he had come here to do this time was certainly not usual…. Not even for him.

He shook his head as for a moment he saw not the room and two young people before him, but instead the hand of the red-haired woman, holding onto a floating barrel, just out of his reach as he used one hand to cling to the line and with his other reached out for her.

Then with a blood-curdling screech, she had been suddenly and violently jerked away from the barrel and vanished under the water, where soon a reddish stain had risen. A stain every man on the ship could sea. No, they had not been able to rescue them all…. There had been other things also searching for those washed out into the sea. Things with far too many very sharp teeth.

He blinked rapidly a few times, then frowned, shoving the memory away.

'Actually, that's what I've come to discuss." He told them, suddenly leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and Elizabeth scowled.

"You've come to raid Port Royal? NOW?" she demanded, and he frowned.

"No, not now!" he reacted with quickly in strongly indignant denial.

"Jack! When? Then when? Later?" Will protested loudly, and the pirate put up both hands quickly and shook his head.

"No, no, no! Keep your knickers on boy! What do you take me for! I don't have any plans for sacking the town! Besides, most of it seems to be under the water now!" he reacted with indignantly, and they both scowled at the reminder of the so recent disaster.

For a moment the pirate seemed to give them a miffed look. Then he took another long swig from the bottle, and one more, and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender as he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then opened his eyes to find them watching him warily.

"Jack, what happened here has been horrendous." Elizabeth reproved, and he nodded quickly.

"Aye, missy - that it has. Tis the kind of thing that either you learn to adapt to and still manage to smile now and then, or it'll haunt you forever and drive a man daft. Me - well I can at least take comfort in the fact that there are fewer forts now to be trying to put holes in my ship. It's a small compensation I know, but I'll be grateful none the less. One fort is better than 3 of them in my opinion, no matter which place it be."

"Why are you in the bay?" Will asked and the pirate captain tilted his head and considered them.

"Actually, we'd be much obliged to return a few things we found floating around out in the waters beyond."

"You found things that can be used still?" Will asked skeptically, and the pirate took another long swig and shook his head.

"People. Just some folks who managed to get themselves lost out there with little choice between resigning themselves to the depths of the fair blue sea, or being shark bait, you could say." He drawled as he settled back in the chair.

"You want to ransom them? Here?" Elizabeth asked darkly, and he gave her a clearly caught off guard look for a moment, then smiled calculatingly.

"Well if you be offering to pay….'" he countered silkily, and she scowled hugely, and he laughed.

"Missy, you need to learn to take things a little less seriously, especially ol' Jack! No, I don't want to ransom them… just put them on dry land." He said, and she looked rather apologetic yet mildly exasperated at the same time.

"It's not easy to be anything but serious with things around here lately Jack," Will offered and the one nodded as his expression suddenly sobered.

"How did they end up with you? Are these castaways you ran across somewhere in the Caribbean?" she asked in a kinder tone and he sighed with a mildly suppressed grimace and closed his eyes. He sat back and brought his hands together before his lips and bowed his head in thought.

He couldn't just outright tell them that as the appointed pirate Lord of the Caribbean he saw colors in the water that led him to places and people who might need a bit of 'pirate intervention'. Besides, he'd never felt or seen an earthquake happen before that he knew of. Purple water was never good… but he'd known there hadn't been a hurricane. Hurricanes he could actually 'feel' somehow.

It had been the wave passing the beneath the ship that had struck him the most. Nearly invisible on the surface, he had felt it pass them none the less, the wave in the water matching the violently shivering bottom of the sea, roiling up sands and changing the landscape far below the surface of the water. He opened his eyes to regard them in earnest, the outer 'mask' he wore so well suddenly absent.

"We were heading for the Windwards, sailing just south of here. Water just started to… well … look wrong is all I can say. Suddenly a series of odd waves came - and with a clear blue sky, that's not how water behaves. I turned us around to find out what the in the name of thunder was going on and where, and next thing I know we're fishing' people out of the water off Port Royal and finding pieces and parts of everything imaginable. They told us there was an earthquake, what they had seen happening to the town…" he said, hands gesturing rapidly.

"Some of em… some of them had found things that floated. Some of them… well, some the sharks found first. Or they didn't have anything to hold onto. We did the best we could with the live ones, let go to Davey Jones the ones we couldn't save. But that idiot Commodore here - well he's making it bloody impossible now!" he said and they both looked surprised.

"You found survivors that were washed out to sea? These are survivors from Port Royal? You rescued them… and now you're trying to bring them home?" Elizabeth asked softly, and Jack looked distinctly uncomfortable as he gave her a manufactured injured look.

"Well, you don't need to go putting' it like that Miz Turner! - But yes, I'd like them off my ship, please. A couple of the little treasure snipes we're about ready to put to the plank I swear. Trying to climb up in my rigging. Better at untying knots then they are at tying 'em. Candy wrappers all over creation… They're driving the lot of us half daft!" he told her with a gesture of what she felt was mostly mock annoyance.

She and Will exchanged looks of amazement.

"How many people did you find Jack?" Will asked, and he shrugged and took another long swig from the bottle.

"A tad... A tad more than a few. A bit more than a dozen. I haven't been keepin' a head count - I have a ship to manage." He said nonchalantly, mask suddenly back in place and they both smiled widely.

Suddenly the pirate found himself getting a firm hug and kiss on the cheek from the woman and he looked up at her in obvious surprise.

"I think what you did was wonderful Jack. I always knew you were a good man!" she said and he quickly shook his head as she rose, seeming rather embarrassed at her observation as he looked at Will and she returned to perch on the arm of the chair her young husband sat in.

"Do you remember what I told you about the only things that really matter in any situation?" the pirate captain asked and Will nodded.

"What a man can do and what a man can't do. Yes, I remember very well." He said and now the pirate sighed and seemed to forget the woman's outburst of affection as he frowned mildly at the bottle in his hand. When he looked at them he seemed relaxed to a great degree and now turning thoughtful.

"Sometimes lad, a man finds himself put in a situation, where it isn't so much what you accomplish that matters. Sometimes fate seems to set it up so that sure, you can look away and no one will know the difference besides yourself. Especially at night, standing at the wheel by yourself, seeing a body floating on a piece of wood, not moving. Everyone else asleep. But if you do pass by… well, it seems to me that the worst torments of hell would be reserved for those who 'could have' but chose 'not to' for no other reason than that they didn't want to be bothered." He said almost as if thinking aloud, then met their gazes steadily.

"Things I can choose - raiding, looting, pillaging... Other such assorted mayhem. That's one thing. But the choice to run a man through with your sword or stand back and take him, prisoner ... Shoot to aim for the chest and kill - or shoot to aim for an arm and wound ... Sail on past the man in the sea or stop to take him on board... Those choices are a bit different than which prize will we try for next or where will we go to spend the booty. I'd be a mighty stupid man if I said I saw no difference between those kinds of situations. Only the Lord, or fate, or destiny… call it what you will… knows why we happened to be where we were at the time, but I'll leave those choices to him I think. Would've probably been better if it was anyone else who picked them up, but I guess it was the Pearl's turn." He said, then took a sip from the bottle in his hand, considered it, and chuckled deeply.

"As Gibbs would be telling you - There are times when the rum goes straight to my head and I get way too philosophical for my own good! I don't suppose you could spare a small bite to eat?" he asked rather apologetically, and Elizabeth seemed embarrassed as she quickly rose.

"Jack I'm sorry! You must think I 'm a horrible hostess! What did you have for dinner?" she asked, and he shook his head and raised up the bottle in gesture and with his other now waved her back to her seat, shaking his head.

"Is the Pearl low on supplies?" Will asked and the one sighed mildly.

"No - We have plenty of supplies and materials - more than I care to even think of. Planned on leaving that along with our visitors if nobody minds terribly. It's been more an issue of time. Trying to keep the crew calm with everything we been running across… trying to keep our visitors calm. And trying to keep the little ones out of my holds!" he said, rubbing at his cheek.

Suddenly he sat forward and pointed a finger at the young blacksmith, the silver setting and onyx stone catching the light.

"I'll tell you who's obsessed with treasure, boy - and it isn't me OR you! It's those little bilge rats I swear! I've never been asked so many bloody questions in my whole entire life! Where did you get all that gold? Are you really the Captain? What's that rope for? Is that a gold coin in your necklace? Did you steal it? Can I steer the ship? Are you really pirates? When are we gonna get there, when are we gonna get there, when are we gonna get there..." he said, repeating the questions in imitation of a child's voice and they both burst out laughing and he smiled at them fully and shook his head and seemed satisfied, as if he had achieved what he wanted finally.

They kept imagining the scene of the illustrious captain clad in his coat and kohl, being as imperious as possible, and him being questioned by someone barely half his size. It seemed more and more hilarious. It was several long minutes before they could quit, and both gave him apologetic looks.

"Jack, I apologize really. But you sounded just like you when we were stuck on that island!" Elizabeth finally gasped, and he smiled ruefully and didn't seem to mind, but laid an arm casually over his stomach to stifle its low rumble. She noticed anyway and frowned at him.

"You really haven't eaten! Just a moment," she said and jumped up and left and this time he didn't even attempt to stop her. Will finally sighed at him.

"I'm glad you came Jack, more than you know. Have you been in the town at all?" he asked and the one shook his head with a dark look.

"No lad, in case you haven't noticed, the main part of the town that's left, is almost an island now. Only one teeny piece of land left connecting it to the rest. The two forts might be gone, but the place is crawling with Norrington's men and they still have the one left. Had a couple of bodies in the water give me a bit of a start in the dark coming over, but no, I didn't go near the town." He said regretfully and then looked surprised as Elizabeth returned already with a plate containing several rolls and pieces of fruit.

Will raised an eyebrow at her and Jack caught it, staying his hand to now only pick up one of the rolls from the plate.

"Don't be silly Jack, you must be starved," she said as she handed him the entire thing.

"I'll be eternally grateful Will was delivering a sword that day out of the town. If he'd been there… the blacksmith's shop is gone, as well as its owner. We honestly don't know what we're going to do. The tools, the forge, all of it," she said as she slipped her arm around the young mans' shoulder and he gave her hand a squeeze. Their gazes locked for a long moment and they didn't notice the pirate considering the two of them with a very alert, sober and assessing stare.

Suddenly and without warning, there came a vague rumble and then the room began to shiver physically. Will and Elizabeth leapt up instantly and fled to a corner. Jack, a little less aware of what it was, was slower to rise. From out of nowhere came three severe jolts that rattled them down to their teeth and made him stagger sideways to catch himself against a chair. It tipped over with a loud crash. Several dishes crashed loudly to the floor in the room beyond. Then, as suddenly as it had started, it all stopped.

"What in thunder was that!" the pirate demanded and the two seemed cautious as they came out, looking up at the ceiling and walls for cracks and damages.

"That is what they call a 'miniature earthquake'. Supposedly they happen a lot after a big one. We've had many of them over the last few days. More and more buildings keep falling down every time. The actual earthquake itself was much, much worse and far longer though. They say the entire port area turned to liquid ground while other places just split open, only to trap people in it when they slammed back shut seconds later, sometimes just swallowing people altogether." Will told him softly, and the pirate stared at him, seeing the horrors in his mind.

He had to wonder what he himself would have done had he been in port at the time, on solid ground. It wasn't a thought he wanted to entertain at all. Moving water was one thing, moving ground was an entirely different matter: and one he didn't much care for after the small sample he had just felt for himself.

"How long does it keep doing this?" he demanded, looking around the room warily, half expecting the shaking and shivering to start again.

"They tell us it will get less and less, and it has already. That was the first one for almost a full day now." Elizabeth said, and Will nodded.

"Now, about the passengers you'd like to return…. How long do you think it will take to leave them and whatever supplies you're willing to leave behind…" William started….

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	5. Chapter 5: To the Very Edge

disclaimer: I do not own anything of Disney's…. wish I did! :D

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 **Chapter 5: To the Very Edge**

June 12th, Sunday continued

Jack bid a quiet goodbye to his friends and silently the door closed behind him. Well, that had gone better than he expected. It felt good to know that the friendship begun that time ago was still intact. Of course, it probably helped that he had survivors to return, but they had made it clear that wasn't the only reason he was gladly welcomed. The 'miniature earthquake' he could have lived happily without, but nothing in the house seemed upset by it. It was definitely time now to get back to the Pearl and carry out this little arrangement. Annamaria and Gibbs - the entire crew would be glad he was sure. He was very eager to be back on the sea, which was supposed to move: unlike the fickle earth that apparently was inclined to betray itself and shiver and jump the way no piece of land had any business doing.

Thinking about the eventful evening now behind him, Jack perhaps wasn't quite as alert to other noises as he normally would have been… but one sound froze him in his tracks - that of a sword being drawn close by and behind him.

He stopped, then turned very slowly to find Commodore Norrington himself not more than 4 yards behind him. ' Oh, merciful heavens, this is NOT what I need.' He thought, tilting his head with a rather put-upon sigh.

"Well, well, if it isn't Jack Sparrow," Norrington growled, and Jack smiled.

"That's Captain Jack Sparrow – there should be a 'Captain' in there somewhere. Is it really so hard for you to say the word?" he countered insolently, as he warily circled left, and away from the house.

"How did you end up here anyway?" he asked unhappily, looking for something to distract the military man with, but Norrington advanced a step, looking very threatening.

"I was checking to be certain there were no damages to the Governor's house after the tremor and saw a rowboat on the beach. I thought it might be wise to make sure that the young Mr. and Mrs. Turner weren't being molested by some… pirate" he growled, advancing again, and now Jack drew his own sword. Obviously, the man had no intention of letting him pass.

Jack turned suddenly and darted away from the house and into the trees. He did not want the lad coming out and getting involved in this matter, thank you very much.

Norrington pursued him until Jack realized there was a cliff not far before him. He turned and met Norrington 's downstroke with a block.

"Now that's not very nice mate! You'd think you were trying to kill a fellow here!" he protested as he struck back, and Norrington gave him a 'cat that has the canary smile'.

"It would be doing the world a favor to rid them of you Sparrow." He said, making a vicious cut at Jack's middle that the man danced away from. They clashed back and forth, around trees and bushes, over rocks and roots, sparks flying sometimes from the strength of the blows. Jack made sure they got further and further from the house each minute.

"You won't be getting away Sparrow, not this time," Norrington growled, anticipating the pirates' rounding a tree. He swung as hard as he could, and Jack barely managed to turn and pull back in time but cried out softly as the sword caught him hard and deep across his left bicep.

He countered, but the pain in his arm and the wetness quickly coating his arm told him that he couldn't afford to let this go on much longer. But no matter how he tried to get away, Norrington leapt in front of him, trying to cleave him in two with great enthusiasm. Jack stumbled over a root and nearly fell, barely managing to deflect the next thrust to his chest. He retreated to the more open area nearer the cliff and struck back.

Enough of this nonsense! He'd had enough! With a thrust and twist, he flipped Norrington's sword out of his hand. It flew up and then across the dew-wet grass, towards the cliff, with its owner making a desperate lunge for it. Just at that perfect moment, the earth again decided to display its ability to imitate the motion of a wave, upsetting the balance of both men. Norrington, off balance already, tripped over a rock of some sort and went sliding across the wet grass towards the cliff as well - and suddenly realized there was no ground before him!

He clutched desperately at the grass itself, but couldn't stop the momentum. His body slid off the cliff- and he was jerked to a sudden stop by his wrist. He looked up to find Jack Sparrow, prone on the ground, his face screwed up with effort and holding onto his wrist as Norrington dangled over the abyss below. Far, far, below he heard the sound of his sword hitting the rocks.

"You bloody fool!" Sparrow hissed as his other hand came down to grab the Commodore's arm as well. Norrington used his other hand and scrabbled at the sheer dirt wall before him, but every effort he made to grab onto a rock, only dislodged that rock and sent it also crashing below.

"Grab my arm!" Jack shouted commandingly, and Norrington did, only to find the pirate's arm heavily slick with his blood and his hand slipped further.

"No!" Jack shouted and grabbed him securely, arm for arm now. For a long moment, they stared at each other.

"You're going to let go," Norrington stated, and the pirate shook his head.

"Bloody hell not! That's something only YOU would do!" the pirate said rather shakily, his face glistening with perspiration as he re-fixed his grip with his good hand.

"Then pull me up!" Norrington whispered, and the other shook his head.

"I can't mate… my arm" Jack hissed, tugging him up only an inch or so and his strength seeming to give out. He was breathing very heavily now; his arm was in agony and he was hanging onto well over 150 pounds mostly by the strength in the grip of one hand.

"William! Somebody!" he half looked back and yelled loudly. But the lights from the house were quite some ways off, and they couldn't hear him by any means. He felt Norrington try to grab further up his arm, and his hand slid down again from the wetness that coated that one more and more as time passed.

'Other side - " he gasped, and Norrington got a better grip there but still dangled and they seemed caught like that, unable to move.

The Commodore could feel the pirate's grip fading in his injured arm and the tremble of exertion in his other. The man wasn't going to be able to hold onto him much longer, even if he wanted to... Although why the pirate would be saving his life was an absurdity in itself! Why hadn't the man just let him fall? Sparrow obviously was well aware that just moments ago he had been intent on killing the man if the opportunity presented itself.

"Look you bloody fool," Jack growled fiercely, as now his face tightened and he managed to get the man an inch further up.

'You'd better be able to help me mate - I'm getting awfully dizzy here," the pirate breathed as now he somehow managed to get the man up another inch, then another before he paused, gasping for breath.

"Pull!" Norrington almost begged, his voice uneven. Suddenly one of his hands slipped off Jack's blood-soaked arm entirely. He dangled and was slipping, then just as quickly the pirate had him back in his grip.

"I swear by Neptune's' trident that you are the BIGGEST idiot I have ever had the misfortune to meet! Tryin' to blow holes in my ship when all I want is to return a few stragglers we found floating' in the water. If you aren't the world's biggest fool, I don't know who is!" Jack swore, getting angry now at the thought of not being able to save the man and using that anger to drag Norrington up more and more. How in the name of all that was holy did he manage to keep getting himself into such situations as this!

Unsteadily he managed to get his knees under him. He grabbed onto the man, then yanked as hard as he possibly could, using his own weight as leverage as he tugged. He shakily managed to get the Commodore's head, chest, torso, and hips up over the edge - then he suddenly collapsed backward with the heavy man on top of him, and everything faded away into blackness in an instant.

Commodore Norrington lay there breathing hard, too stunned and weak to move, trying to stop the shaking that consumed his body. He realized his head was on the pirate's chest and he could hear the man's racing heartbeat beneath his ear.

"Sparrow… I owe you my…" he started breathlessly, lifting his head, only to find the pirate's face turned towards him. Jack's features were slack, and his eyes were closed heavily. And blood, he could smell blood.

"Sparrow?" he asked as he managed to rise to his elbows, but there was no response from the man. He couldn't help but notice the sturdy cord tied around the man's neck. From it hung a pendant made of silver…. A silver circle, with a silver triangular that had its corners touching the outer circle, and inside the triangle was a small gold coin of some kind. The moonlight shone strongly on the pendant, making its center triangular area almost seem to glow in some way. No, it was just the light, he decided, giving a low half growl and shaking the man.

"Wake up man!" he said louder, reaching up to slap the pirate's cheek in an attempt to wake him, but still got no response at all. He pulled the man's arm in front of him to feel for a pulse in his injured arm. He was immediately struck by the fact that although Jack was clad in a white shirt, the entire left sleeve was dark in color and very, very wet. Gently he felt up the man's arm and encountered the deep gash, freely bleeding even now. Instinctively he closed the wound with his hand, applying heavy pressure and the pirate frowned vaguely with a soft grunt of pain.

Again he tried slapping the man's cheek, but he just was not waking up. He scowled. If he just left him here like he was, the man would bleed to death within a few hours at the most. He'd already lost a quite a bit of blood. The sword had gone deep. He rose to his knees, still holding the pirate's wound closed and spotted the sash at the man's waist. With one hand he managed to pull it off, then quickly wound it around the man's arm and tied it very tightly.

He was still shaking from his experience as he rose to his feet, grabbed the pirate under the arms and pulled him away from the cliff. Gently he laid Jack down and considered his still slack features, then put his fingers at the side of his neck for a pulse and felt relieved to find one. He looked back at the house some distance away. He was so shaken that he didn't think he could drag the unconscious man all that way.

Unsteadily Norrington rose to his feet and hurried to the house where he pounded on the door as hard as he could manage with hands that barely followed his command. Quickly the door was opened by Will, who looked shocked as he stepped back.

Commodore Norrington stepped forward into the room as Elizabeth came from the bedroom area and she gasped at seeing him.

"Commodore! Are you all right? You're covered in - blood" she breathed with a sudden frown, and he looked down to see that he was indeed brilliantly coated in the pirate's blood.

"Jack Sparrow... Out there... by the cliffs. He's… he's still alive. He… he needs… your assistance," he managed to stammer unevenly, then staggered out and literally fled into the darkness. He paused once away and turned to watch as the young man and lady hurried out along the cliff with a lantern. Eventually, they stopped, and he saw the lantern put down on the ground. They had found the unconscious man. At that, he turned and left, still shaking and in semi-shock and not realizing it as his feet automatically took him down the path back towards the fort.

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End file.
